Manchester United have ‘returned with force’ for Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodríguez ahead of the January transfer window.
That’s according to Estadio Deportivo, who say sources have told them that Manchester United are a ‘feasible’ option for the World Cup winner.
They explain that United had Rodríguez on their list of possible targets in previous windows but have never moved for him, something which may now change.
That’s because Rodríguez’s current contract is set to expire next summer and he is yet to sign an extension, leading Real Betis to prepare to lose him in the January transfer window.
That would be their last opportunity to secure a fee for him, although the Argentine will also be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with clubs around Europe from January 1st as well.
Those in charge would prefer to keep him and have made a ‘great effort’ to do so, offering him an improved salary and specific exit formulas for the beginning of upcoming transfer windows ‘well below’ the €80m release clause in his deal.
He’s yet to sign, though, and Manchester United are now showing an interest again after the recent injury to Casemiro.
The Brazilian is not expected to return before January and Erik ten Hag has asked those above him at Manchester United to make a signing in that position. Their plan is to use their ‘inexhaustible chequebook’ to do so according to Estadio.
The major stumbling block may be Rodríguez himself, who is not in the mood for a change of scenery midway through the season and wants to wait until the summer.
He turned down moves in the summer because he and his partner wanted their child to be born in Seville, with the player putting his family above his own preferences in the short-term.
Whether that has changed remains to be seen and the newspaper does state that United ‘pushing hard financially’ could play a part in his thinking.
Betis, for their part, have already secured a replacement and would be open to a sale if the midfielder continues to not sign his new deal. It all, though, seems to depend on how much Manchester United are willing to pay them and Rodríguez.
